2023 Faculty Development & Engagement Survey Insights

The 2023 Faculty Development & Engagement Survey was designed to understand the professional development needs and interests of Hostos faculty to advance teaching and learning. With 118 faculty members responding—a 29% response rate—the survey reflects a representative cross-section of our academic departments. The findings offer a broad view of faculty perspectives and needs, as well as specific recommendations for action.

Professional Development Needs and Preferences

The survey showed faculty are looking for varied and valuable professional development (PD) opportunities. Topics of high interest include artificial intelligence, scholarship of teaching and learning, student success, accessibility, and teaching innovation. They also want to learn about digital skills, research, working together, career growth, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. These findings offer an opportunity to better align with the specific needs related to their teaching and more tailored offerings. Other opportunities include offering PD in different formats to suit their schedules and preferences

Challenges in PD Participation

Faculty face several challenges in participating in PD activities, including not enough support for travel, balancing work and personal life, and insufficient funding. Work-life balance is a particular concern, as faculty try to fit professional development around their personal responsibilities and teaching duties. Other barriers include technological limitations and a lack of essential resources. There’s also a need for better alignment of professional development with faculty interests and career goals.

Opportunities worth exploring include seeking funding and other resources to promote participation in PD, offering PD in mixed modalities to help those with tight schedules, and creating ways to promote community-building, collaboration, and innovative practices such as AI exploration and integration. (more on AI in the EdTech Innovations Newsletter).

Institutional Support and Resources

Faculty expressed a need for better support from the institution, especially regarding technology and administrative help. They are interested in innovative teaching methods and strategies to help students succeed. They also suggest exploring ways to increase participation and create the time needed for professional development and research, such as offering leadership roles, adjusting workloads, providing financial support, aligning with regular work schedules, and acknowledging the time needed for professional development.

Professional Development Modalities and Format

Faculty use a variety of teaching methods, showing they value both traditional and flexible ways of delivering courses. A similar expression is shown in their preferences for professional development formats. The survey highlights faculty preferences for in-person sessions, and value the personal interaction of face-to-face sessions, though online webinars and seminars are also popular. This suggests that while in-person learning is preferred, online formats are recognized for their convenience.

The survey shows faculty prefer to engage in professional development on Mondays and Fridays, possibly due to these days having lighter teaching schedules. Morning sessions, especially from 8-10 AM, are the most popular, while late afternoons also show potential. Evenings, however, seem less popular for professional development activities.

Council Members’ Initial Reflections on the Survey Results

“It was surprising that quite a few faculty members preferred asynchronous learning. This unexpected discovery challenges conventional teaching methods, especially amidst COVID-19 disruptions and limited control over teaching environments.”

“Interestingly, many faculty also preferred the online mix method, a sentiment I agree with. The online mix approach allows for both synchronous and asynchronous learning, providing students with flexibility while maintaining engagement.”

“Besides these new methods, many faculty members still liked the traditional, in-person teaching. This shows how much they value face-to-face interaction and the immersive learning it provides. It’s encouraging to see a variety of teaching preferences among faculty.​“

“Balancing work and personal life is a real challenge when trying to participate in professional development activities amongst our academic and personal responsibilities.”

“The diversity in teaching modality preferences is striking, and it raises questions about their effectiveness in terms of student success.”

“Professors are seeking development in digital skills, teaching scholarship, and strategies for student success. However, concerns about AI stand out.

“A major challenge cited include engagement and online… If these two words are not together, my question is: is there a lack of engagement in online teaching or this lack of engagement is happening now post-pandemic to all the modalities?”

Next Steps and a Call for Action

The CTL Advisory Council and the EdTech Leadership Council are diligently working with the survey findings. The initial insights were shared during the recent Chairs, Coordinators, and Director’s meeting, and have also been shared and discussed with the Office of Academic Affairs and leaders of faculty inquiry groups supported by CTL. Our goal is to leverage this valuable information to gain a deeper understanding of faculty needs and develop, refine, and align new and existing initiatives and activities to further elevate educational excellence at Hostos.

We invite all members of the college community—administrators, faculty leaders, and faculty and staff members—to join us in this important dialogue. Your feedback and creative ideas are vital in overcoming the barriers we have identified and in promoting a culture of innovation and teaching and learning excellence at Hostos.